Response Mechanisms of Plants Under Saline-Alkali Stress

Abstract

As two coexisting abiotic stresses, salt stress and alkali stress have severely restricted the development of global agriculture. Clarifying the plant resistance mechanism and determining how to improve plant tolerance to salt stress and alkali stress have been popular research topics. At present, most related studies have focused mainly on salt stress, and salt-alkali mixed stress studies are relatively scarce. However, in nature, high concentrations of salt and high pH often occur simultaneously, and their synergistic effects can be more harmful to plant growth and development than the effects of either stress alone. Therefore, it is of great practical importance for the sustainable development of agriculture to study plant resistance mechanisms under saline-alkali mixed stress, screen new saline-alkali stress tolerance genes, and explore new plant salt-alkali tolerance strategies. Herein, we summarized how plants actively respond to saline-alkali stress through morphological adaptation, physiological adaptation and molecular regulation.

An Insight into the Abiotic Stress Responses of Cultivated Beets (Beta vulgaris L.)

“…Alkaline stress WRKY transcription factor family (WRKY10 and 16) [35] Alkaline stress Metal Tolerance Protein 11 (MTP11) [36] Alkaline stress Ethylene-insensitive protein 2 (EIN2) [36] Alkaline stress Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) [36] Cold stress Integral membrane protein (IMP) [37] Cold stress A novel ER-located aquaporin gene (COLD1) [38] Cold stress Raffinose synthase 1 and 2 (RS1 and RS2) [39] Freezing Galactinol synthase 2 and 3 (GOLS2 and GOLS3) Raffinose synthase 2 and 5 (RS2 and RS5) [40] Heavy metal Metal tolerance protein (BmMTP10 and BmMTP11) [41] Heavy metal Toxic nickel concentration (NIC3, NIC6 and NIC8) [42] Heavy metal Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 3 (NRAMP3) [43] 2.1. Alkaline Stress Alkaline stress (high pH) is one of the abiotic constraints of plants, which co-exists with salt stress and elicits severe detrimental damages to global agricultural production [44]. Over 954 million hectares of land on the globe is affected by salinity [45].…”

“…Alkaline stress (high pH) is one of the abiotic constraints of plants, which co-exists with salt stress and elicits severe detrimental damages to global agricultural production [ 44 ]. Over 954 million hectares of land on the globe is affected by salinity [ 45 ].…”

“…Numerous research groups across the globe have been perusing tolerance mechanisms to understand the salt stress responses in various crops and model land plants [ 48 , 49 ]. However, the studies focused on high salinity together with alkaline stress are minuscule [ 44 , 46 ]. Apparently, when the plants simultaneously encounter high salinity and high pH, their cumulative damage is more severe than their single occurrence [ 44 ].…”

“…However, the studies focused on high salinity together with alkaline stress are minuscule [ 44 , 46 ]. Apparently, when the plants simultaneously encounter high salinity and high pH, their cumulative damage is more severe than their single occurrence [ 44 ]. Several previous reports determined that sugar beet can sustain moderate exposure to saline and alkaline conditions [ 35 , 37 , 48 ].…”

OVATE Family Protein PpOFP1 Physically Interacts With PpZFHD1 and Confers Salt Tolerance to Tomato and Yeast

“…The extremity of agricultural salt damage has increased significantly in the 21st century. The extent of salinization has approached 900 million hm 2 globally, and includes some 100 million hm 2 in China alone ( Fang et al, 2021 ). The effects of salt damage on fruit trees vary with climate conditions, light intensity, soil conditions, and plant species.…”